The Need

Infectious diseases present a problem for treatment, with concerns for the overuse of antibiotic medicine, inefficiency of modern medicines, and a need in the market for novel technologies that will target and work in conjunction with the host immune system, rather than depending on external mechanisms. Furthermore, a technology that can target specific disease causing cells and enhance the cytotoxicity would be an important addition to the market.

The Technology

Researchers at The Ohio State University, led by Drs. Dai and Caligiuri have found a new way to activate cellular cytotoxicity using an antibody dependent method that is independent of the Fab portion of the antibody (Fc bridged cellular cytotoxicity, or FcBCC). The technology will be useful for developing treatments for various human infectious diseases and for providing immunotherapeutic protection.

Commercial Applications

• Medicine
  • Infectious disease vaccines
  • Viral disease products
  • Cancer vaccines

Benefits/ Advantages

• The use of FcBCC to treat infectious diseases.
• The use of FcBCC to treat cancer with viruses that encode FcR
• Administering human modified Fe fragments or antibodies may increase therapeutic effects of antigen specific antibodies, alleviate certain autoimmune diseases, sepsis of certain infections (e.g., from Staphlococcus and Streptococcus), and promote viral therapy of cancer or therapy of cancer bearing FcR.
• Administering human modified Fe fragments or antibodies could prevent or diminish life threatening sequelae of sepsis resulting from pathogens that encode structures that bind Fe fragments.
• Stimulating the function of other FcyR-expressing cells (including but not limited to monocytes and macrophages) with pathogen Fc binding proteins.